<h2><SPAN name="page92"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>THE BREAKING OF CHAINS</h2>
<p class="poetry">Between the ringing of bells and the musical
clang of chimes<br/>
I hear a sound like the breaking of chains, all through these
Christmas times.<br/>
For the thought of the world is waking out of a slumber deep and
long,<br/>
And the race is beginning to understand how Right can master
Wrong.</p>
<p class="poetry">And the eyes of the world are opening wide, and
great are the truths they see;<br/>
And the heart of the world is singing a song, and its burden is
‘Be free!’<br/>
Now the thought of the world and the wish of the world and the
song of the world will make<br/>
A force so strong that the fetters forged for a million years
must break.</p>
<p class="poetry"><SPAN name="page93"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
93</span>Fetters of superstitious fear have bound the race to
creeds<br/>
That hindered the upward march of man to the larger faith he
needs.<br/>
Fetters of greed and pride have made the race bow down to
kings;<br/>
But the pompous creed and the costly throne must yield to simpler
things.</p>
<p class="poetry">The thought of the world has climbed above old
paths for centuries trod;<br/>
And cloth and crown no longer mean the ‘vested power of
God.’<br/>
The race no longer bends beneath the weight of Adam’s
sin,<br/>
But stands erect and knows itself the Maker’s first of
kin.</p>
<p class="poetry">And the need of the world and the wish of the
world and the song of the world I hear,<br/>
All through the clanging and clashing of bells, this Christmas
time o’ the year;<br/>
And I hear a sound like the breaking of chains, and it seems to
say to me,<br/>
In the voice of One who spoke of old, ‘The Truth shall make
men free.’</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.